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Robert Joseph Gilliam is a former drug counselor who married That ’70s Show actress Lisa Robin Kelly in October 2012. Their marriage lasted less than a year and was marked by domestic violence arrests. After Kelly’s death in August 2013, Gilliam sued her rehab facility for wrongful death.
Robert Joseph Gilliam was born in 1951, making him 74 years old as of 2025. He spent most of his professional life working as a drug abuse counselor, helping people fight addiction and rebuild their lives.
Before his connection to actress Lisa Robin Kelly, Gilliam lived a private life. He stayed out of the spotlight and focused on his work. Few details about his early years, education, or family background are publicly available.
His career choice tells us something about his character. Drug counseling requires patience, empathy, and a genuine desire to help people through their darkest moments. This background would later play a significant role in his personal life.
Gilliam met Lisa Robin Kelly in North Carolina in 2012. At the time, Kelly was at one of the lowest points in her life. The actress, known for playing Laurie Forman on That ’70s Show, was battling serious substance abuse issues. Some reports suggest she was homeless and living in her car when they met.
Their meeting seemed almost inevitable. Gilliam had spent years helping people with addiction. Kelly desperately needed support. Whether he saw her as someone he could help or whether their connection ran deeper isn’t clear.
What is clear is that their relationship moved quickly. Within months of meeting, they were married.
Robert Joseph Gilliam and Lisa Robin Kelly married in October 2012. The ceremony was small and private, attended only by close friends and family. He was 61 years old. She was 42.
But the marriage faced problems almost immediately. Both struggled with substance abuse, and the same issues that brought them together began tearing them apart.
In November 2012, just one month after the wedding, police arrested both Gilliam and Kelly for assault. They had gotten into a physical fight at their home. This incident was the first public sign of how troubled their relationship had become.
The situation got worse over the following months. In July 2013, Kelly filed for divorce. According to reports, one of their worst fights started when Gilliam asked Kelly to give him all her money. When she refused, she claimed he became violent. A neighbor called the police, and Gilliam was arrested.
Kelly obtained a restraining order to keep him away from her. Though she had started divorce proceedings, the process wasn’t complete when she died. Legally, Gilliam remained with her husband until the end.
Lisa Robin Kelly died in her sleep on August 15, 2013, at Pax House Rehab Center in California. She was 43 years old. The cause of death was multiple drug intoxication.
Kelly had voluntarily checked herself into the facility, hoping to get clean and turn her life around. Her death came less than a month after she filed for divorce from Gilliam.
Gilliam later claimed that Kelly had called him repeatedly before her death. He said she wanted help leaving her new boyfriend and that he was trying to arrange for her to transfer to a rehab center in North Carolina, closer to where he lived.
The tragedy shocked fans and the entertainment industry. It highlighted the deadly risks of addiction and raised questions about the quality of care at rehabilitation facilities.
After Kelly’s death, Robert Joseph Gilliam filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pax House Rehab Center. He claimed the facility’s staff lacked proper training to care for someone with Kelly’s level of addiction. He argued that negligence led to her death.
The lawsuit named both the rehab center and its owners. It is alleged that better care and supervision might have saved Kelly’s life.
The case dragged on for three years. Legal battles over wrongful death claims are complex, especially when addiction is involved. Questions about responsibility, proper care standards, and what could have been done differently all had to be examined.
In the end, the case settled out of court. The terms of the settlement were kept confidential. No one knows how much money changed hands or what specific agreements were reached.
Since the lawsuit was settled, Robert Joseph Gilliam has disappeared from public view. He’s now 74 years old and appears to have returned to the quiet, private life he lived before meeting Lisa Robin Kelly.
There have been no media reports about him in recent years. He hasn’t given interviews or made public statements. He hasn’t been connected to any other high-profile events or relationships.
This silence suggests a deliberate choice. After years of public scrutiny, legal battles, and personal tragedy, Gilliam seems to prefer privacy. His current whereabouts, activities, and personal situation remain unknown.
If you’re searching for Robert Joseph Gilliam, you may come across an obituary from Okeechobee Funeral Home for someone with the same name. That person was born on September 3, 1940, and died on June 21, 2010.
This is a different person. The Robert Joseph Gilliam who married Lisa Robin Kelly was born in 1951 and is still alive. The matching names can create confusion, so it’s important to check dates carefully.
Robert Joseph Gilliam’s story is inseparable from Lisa Robin Kelly’s tragedy. Their brief marriage was marked by addiction, violence, and ultimately death. His lawsuit against the rehab center where Kelly died brought attention to important questions about addiction treatment standards.
Today, Gilliam lives privately, away from media attention. His chapter with Kelly remains a cautionary tale about how addiction affects not just individuals but everyone around them. The story reminds us why proper treatment, compassion, and support matter so much for people fighting substance abuse.
